Read Online The Redemption of Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorensen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jessica Sorensen
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all her prescription medication. “This is my house and while you’re here you will follow my rules.”
I close the cereal box, stirring in my fury. “I’m eighteen years old and I can be friends with whomever I want.”
She grabs one of the bigger bottles and slowly turns around to face me with her hand over the lid. “Even ones who beat up your brother’s best friend.”
I dig my nails into the granite countertops as the pain of the last six years chokes my oxygen away. “That’s all you care about? Caleb?” His name tastes toxic in my mouth.
She battles to unscrew the lid from the bottle, pressing the bottom against her hand as she squeezes the lid with her fingers. “Callie, Caleb has been part of this family since he was six years old. You know his parents barely talk to him. We’re the only family he has.”
“I don’t give a shit about Caleb!” I shout and my lungs nearly combust. But it feels good. Really, really good. I press my hand to my chest, calmly let go of the countertop, and straighten my shoulders. “I’m going to go out to breakfast with Seth.”
Her eyes are amplified and her lips start to part in protest, but the look on my face quiets her. She cinches her mouth shut as the lid slips off the bottle. “Fine, have fun.” The pills rattle as she pours a couple into the palm of her hand.
I put the cereal back in the cupboard, set the bowl in the sink, and hurry out the back door. I run across the driveway and jog up the steps of the two-story garage. When I open the door, I’m surprised to find Seth sitting on the edge of the bed, awake and dressed in a red T-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans.
“You’re up,” I say as I shut the door.
He tousles his hair into place with his fingers. “I woke when you ran out of here like there was a fire. What was up with that?”
I shuck my jacket off, ball it up, and toss it onto the bed. “I saw my mother heading out here and I didn’t want you to have to deal with her.”
He hooks his watch onto his wrist as he wanders over to his shoes that are at the foot of the bed. “Callie, no matter how many jokes we make, I can handle your mom.” He slips his foot into his boot. “Trust me, if I can handle my own mom, then I can definitely handle yours.”
I frown as I sink down onto the edge of the bed. “But you haven’t talked to your mom since you told her about Greyson.”
He shrugs as he laces up his shoe and fastens a knot. “She’ll get over it. It’ll just take some time, just like it did when I told her I was gay.”
I flop back onto the bed and drape my arm over my forehead. “How do you decide what’s worth telling your parents and what’s not?”
He’s silent for a while and then I hear his footsteps as he walks around to my side of the bed. He lifts my arm off my head and looks down at me. “If you’re asking me if I think you should tell your parents about what happened with Caleb, then the answer is yes. I think you should.”
He releases my arm and I lean up on my elbows. “How can you be so sure?” My mouth sinks to a frown. “She could get mad at me. Or she could hate herself as much as I hate… hated myself.”
Seth brushes my bangs out of my eyes with his fingers. “Callie, if she hates herself for a while, then she hates herself for a while. You’ve been carrying around the burden for the last six years and it’s about time someone else took a little bit of the weight off of you.”
“I’m not sure I can,” I whisper, clutching at the dull ache inside my chest. “There’s just so much… so much acceptance in telling her the truth.”
“Like you might have to accept that it’s finally real?”
I nod as I gaze at the clear sky outside. The sunlight is beaming down on the houses across the street. Sunlight is a rare occurrence in Afton, but maybe it’s a sign that not everything is caped in darkness. That light does exist even in the darkest of corners.
He moves back as I sit up and
I close the cereal box, stirring in my fury. “I’m eighteen years old and I can be friends with whomever I want.”
She grabs one of the bigger bottles and slowly turns around to face me with her hand over the lid. “Even ones who beat up your brother’s best friend.”
I dig my nails into the granite countertops as the pain of the last six years chokes my oxygen away. “That’s all you care about? Caleb?” His name tastes toxic in my mouth.
She battles to unscrew the lid from the bottle, pressing the bottom against her hand as she squeezes the lid with her fingers. “Callie, Caleb has been part of this family since he was six years old. You know his parents barely talk to him. We’re the only family he has.”
“I don’t give a shit about Caleb!” I shout and my lungs nearly combust. But it feels good. Really, really good. I press my hand to my chest, calmly let go of the countertop, and straighten my shoulders. “I’m going to go out to breakfast with Seth.”
Her eyes are amplified and her lips start to part in protest, but the look on my face quiets her. She cinches her mouth shut as the lid slips off the bottle. “Fine, have fun.” The pills rattle as she pours a couple into the palm of her hand.
I put the cereal back in the cupboard, set the bowl in the sink, and hurry out the back door. I run across the driveway and jog up the steps of the two-story garage. When I open the door, I’m surprised to find Seth sitting on the edge of the bed, awake and dressed in a red T-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans.
“You’re up,” I say as I shut the door.
He tousles his hair into place with his fingers. “I woke when you ran out of here like there was a fire. What was up with that?”
I shuck my jacket off, ball it up, and toss it onto the bed. “I saw my mother heading out here and I didn’t want you to have to deal with her.”
He hooks his watch onto his wrist as he wanders over to his shoes that are at the foot of the bed. “Callie, no matter how many jokes we make, I can handle your mom.” He slips his foot into his boot. “Trust me, if I can handle my own mom, then I can definitely handle yours.”
I frown as I sink down onto the edge of the bed. “But you haven’t talked to your mom since you told her about Greyson.”
He shrugs as he laces up his shoe and fastens a knot. “She’ll get over it. It’ll just take some time, just like it did when I told her I was gay.”
I flop back onto the bed and drape my arm over my forehead. “How do you decide what’s worth telling your parents and what’s not?”
He’s silent for a while and then I hear his footsteps as he walks around to my side of the bed. He lifts my arm off my head and looks down at me. “If you’re asking me if I think you should tell your parents about what happened with Caleb, then the answer is yes. I think you should.”
He releases my arm and I lean up on my elbows. “How can you be so sure?” My mouth sinks to a frown. “She could get mad at me. Or she could hate herself as much as I hate… hated myself.”
Seth brushes my bangs out of my eyes with his fingers. “Callie, if she hates herself for a while, then she hates herself for a while. You’ve been carrying around the burden for the last six years and it’s about time someone else took a little bit of the weight off of you.”
“I’m not sure I can,” I whisper, clutching at the dull ache inside my chest. “There’s just so much… so much acceptance in telling her the truth.”
“Like you might have to accept that it’s finally real?”
I nod as I gaze at the clear sky outside. The sunlight is beaming down on the houses across the street. Sunlight is a rare occurrence in Afton, but maybe it’s a sign that not everything is caped in darkness. That light does exist even in the darkest of corners.
He moves back as I sit up and
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